One local veteran is hopeful this could be the start of improving his health and that of other veterans, but right now there's a catch.

Under Louisiana law, those with certain serious conditions can get a prescription for medical marijuana, but veteran Tony Landry has been monitoring a proposed bill that could add post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain to the list.

Nine medical marijuana licenses were handed out to pharmacies across the state this week, one of those going to Medicis in Lake Charles.

While some on social media say this could be a bad move, local veteran Tony Landry see's the opposite.

"Veterans don't want all these harder pharmaceutical drugs," he said. "They would like to try something that's not as addictive."

Landry used prescription opioids to fight his chronic back pain after serving in the Navy. He switched over to using a cannabis oil and noticed the changes.

"After I started taking the CBD for about two weeks I noticed wow I'm not taking all these aspirins anymore," he said.

Louisiana law only allows those with certain conditions like cancer, epilepsy, seizure disorder, and Chron's Disease to receive a prescription from a doctor, with the drug only available in non-smokable forms.

But a proposed bill could add those with PTSD, chronic pain, and even Parkinson's Disease to that list.

Representative Edward James sponsored the bill that was passed by the House last week and is now awaiting further approval.

While Landry will continue to make the drive to Baton Rouge to promote the bill he's hopeful for more growth for our state when it comes to medical marijuana.

"The cannabis industry is already here," he said. "It's not being taxed, it's not being regulated, it's making our children more dangerous. Once you put it into a pharmacy, and you have to show an ID to go get it, it's going to be safer for folks."

Landry obtained a scholarship that will allow him to head to Washington D.C. next month to attend a unity conference with Americans for Safe Access.

He plans to march with other veterans supporting medical marijuana there as well.

At least 1,124 residents are without power from Pujol Road all the way to Moeling Street near La. 171 according to the Entergy Map. According to Entergy, a serviceman is working to determine the cause of the outage. Power will be restored as soon as possible. Entergy estimates power will be restored by 2:30 p.m. Traffic lights may be affected. Copyright 2018 KPLC. All rights reserved. More >>

At least 1,124 residents are without power from Pujol Road all the way to Moeling Street near La. 171 according to the Entergy Map. According to Entergy, a serviceman is working to determine the cause of the outage. Power will be restored as soon as possible. Entergy estimates power will be restored by 2:30 p.m. Traffic lights may be affected. Copyright 2018 KPLC. All rights reserved. More >>

KATC is reporting that one is dead in a forklift accident at a Proctor & Gamble plant in Pineville. The investigation is still in its early stages, but a Proctor & Gamble spokesperson provided the following statement to KATC. "We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the P&G Product Supply Family passed away at our Alexandria manufacturing facility in a tragic accident during the early morning hours of May 24, 2018. The safety of our employees is a...

KATC is reporting that one is dead in a forklift accident at a Proctor & Gamble plant in Pineville. The investigation is still in its early stages, but a Proctor & Gamble spokesperson provided the following statement to KATC. "We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the P&G Product Supply Family passed away at our Alexandria manufacturing facility in a tragic accident during the early morning hours of May 24, 2018. The safety of our employees is a...

Johnnie Hardman has been found guilty of first-degree murder, armed robbery with a firearm, and two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery for the July 2017 murder of Joshua Touchet. The verdict was reached by the jury after 43 minutes of deliberation. Theresa Schmidt was in the courtroom. To see all of her coverage of the trial, view her Twitter feed below. Tweets by KplcTschmidt

Johnnie Hardman has been found guilty of first-degree murder, armed robbery with a firearm, and two counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery for the July 2017 murder of Joshua Touchet. The verdict was reached by the jury after 43 minutes of deliberation. Theresa Schmidt was in the courtroom. To see all of her coverage of the trial, view her Twitter feed below. Tweets by KplcTschmidt

For the rest of the day, there will be more storms and showers that pop up in the afternoon. This is the new normal with the heat during the afternoon, and the extra moisture in the air. The good news for today is that there are a lot more clouds today, and that is keeping the temperature down a few degrees. That should help limit any storms this afternoon. So we will still likely see some develop, but not as many. Tonight, any rain we see should come to an end.

For the rest of the day, there will be more storms and showers that pop up in the afternoon. This is the new normal with the heat during the afternoon, and the extra moisture in the air. The good news for today is that there are a lot more clouds today, and that is keeping the temperature down a few degrees. That should help limit any storms this afternoon. So we will still likely see some develop, but not as many. Tonight, any rain we see should come to an end.